The configuration of the M1 Pro / M1 Max installed in the new MacBook Pro was delivered in a separate column, but what is the performance on the actual machine? You will be worried about that part.
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Which MacBook is the best? More choices with M1 Pro / M1 Max
A solid product line brought about by “silicon integration” in the new MacBook Prol
The MacBook Pro with M1 Pro / M1 Max has already started shipping, but rough benchmark values are already available. The CPU speed is the highest in the entire Mac except for the upper option of Mac Pro, and it hits a value about 40% faster with Geekbench 5 than when Intel Core i9 is set as an option on the iMac 27 inch model.
In terms of GPU, the 16-core M1 Pro has the same score (Metal’s computing throughput) as the Radeon Pro 5600M, which has been the highest and most expensive option so far. The 32 core model of M1 Max is about twice that, so it greatly exceeds the Radeon Pro 5700 XT for desktop.
These designs have been extended based on the traditional M1, so I could have expected them to some extent, but what surprised me when I actually ran the benchmark test was their stable performance.
Not only is it high-performance, but it constantly demonstrates high performance without overheating the main unit or being bothered by the noise of the cooling fan even when the load is high.
And when I actually started using the MacBook Pro, I felt that there was a philosophy in common with the iPhone Pro series in the parts other than the processor performance, and that was the depth of this product.
Above all, the display quality is unprecedented for a mobile computer (which was also expected), and it also has an evaluation reference mode for professionals, and anti-flicker measures are taken when creating content. thing.
It’s been only about a day since I started using the product, which has evolved extremely complicatedly and on a large scale, and I haven’t seen the whole picture yet, but let’s deliver the first impression first.
Slightly larger, thicker, heavier, but more attractive
I tested a 14-inch display model with 16GB memory and 2TB SSD on the M1 Pro with 10 CPU cores and 16 GPU cores. It has a large SSD capacity, but otherwise it’s probably the most typical new MacBook Pro configuration.
The pixel density of the 16-inch model and the display are exactly the same, and the other functions are the same, but there are only two differences.
The speaker architecture is the same and the sound quality seems to be as uniform as possible, but the maximum sound pressure is higher in the 16-inch model. (However, sufficient sound pressure is produced even with 14 inches)
And the other is the presence or absence of high power mode when M1 Max is selected.
The 16-inch has a high-power mode that spins the 32-core GPU on the M1 Max at full speed. Fully turning a powerful GPU on the same die as the CPU or NPU will affect the distribution of heat density and the overall cooling budget, and it is expected that performance will be adjusted during continuous high loads.
In such a case, it seems to be a mode that does not include GPU performance adjustment even when using applications that are highly dependent on the GPU.
Probably only needed for a small number of applications and applications. Also, with the M1 Pro, you can get full speed without such a mode setting, so there is no setting itself.
Up until now, there have been major differences in functionality and performance between the “larger” and “smaller” MacBook Pros, but if you get closer to this point, you can say that they are “brothers with different sizes.”
Some may be concerned that it’s more than 200 grams heavier than the “smaller”, but they may be better off using a 13-inch MacBook Pro or MacBook Air. The appeal of the new MacBook Pro lies not only in its powerful SoC, but also in its product creation.
If you sympathize with or feel the need for the elaborate construction, it doesn’t make sense to compare it with the M1 equipped model.
Liquid Retina XDR display that provides professional quality in both mobile and evaluation environments
In terms of performance, it is difficult to make a comprehensive evaluation because various processors are integrated. The CPU alone is about 40% faster than the 10-core model Intel-equipped iMac 27-inch, and the GPU is as strong as the Radeon Pro 5600M even with the 16-core model, but with the added value of Neural Engine, ML accelerator, ISP, etc. come.
I think it will be necessary to make a complicated evaluation that is different from the conventional Intel architecture, such as how to utilize and master the different processors for each application.
However, the value of the display is obvious.
The Liquid Retina XDR display has the same brightness specifications as the Pro Display XDR, but it has 1000 areas for local dimming. Although the peak brightness is different, it looks like the display of the Phone 13 Pro has just grown.
This high-spec display can be used in various ways depending on the display settings of macOS. By default, a preset called “Apple XDR Display” is assigned and the refresh rate is “Pro Motion”. With this setting, it works with the built-in brightness sensor and color temperature sensor, and among the specifications of 0-1600nits brightness range and Display-P3 color gamut, “the best visibility in the environment where the MacBook Pro is placed” The display is automatically adjusted.
On the other hand, there is also “Apple Display” as a display preset. This is a mode that matches the brightness specifications of the conventional MacBook Pro up to 500 nits, and if you want to use it in the same way as before, select this.
And the presets prepared other than these are the reference mode. Nine types of presets are the display characteristics of various industry standards, and can be set to meet each standard in evaluation in a dark room.
For example, with the HDR Video setting, the color reproduction range is used to the full extent of P3, and HDR content is displayed with brightness characteristics that match ST2084 (so-called PQ curve). For HDTV, the color gamut of Bt.709 is displayed with a gamma characteristic of 2.2, and all white is displayed in SDR rolled off at 100 nits. In these modes, brightness adjustment and True Tone are disabled.
In other words, when it is necessary to make a strict evaluation when creating content, or when you have to move to various places and perform production work even if the environment is not complete, you can work while switching the mode suitable for both sides.
This is the same with the refresh rate setting, and while the default value is Pro Motion that automatically changes up to 120Hz, it is fixed to a refresh rate for broadcasting such as 59.94, 47.95Hz in addition to the typical refresh rate of 60, 50, 48Hz. You can also do it. This gives you a flicker-free work environment no matter what you do.
Of course, the black sinking due to local dimming, the good gradation of dark areas, and the wide color reproduction range are also attractive, but that is also realized on the iPad Pro. The reason why the new MacBook Pro is for professional creators lies in the details and details.
Commitment to “quality” that is familiar to the iPhone Pro series
To make the iPhone Pro series a premium smartphone, Apple has been very particular about the quality of the sound coming out of that small handset, the spatial audio, and the image quality of the camera, as well as the display. That commitment is also utilized in this product.
The structure of the Magic Keyboard and the trackpad with a glass cover that uses a pressure sensor have the same feeling as before, and the 1080p compatible FaceTime HD camera is equivalent to the iMac 24-inch model announced this year. For the latter, iPhone technology is being utilized.
And this time, the built-in speaker is a result that will surprise the users who purchased it. The sound produced by the 6-speaker system is sufficient for enjoying music, although the true low frequencies cannot be reproduced. It has a playback band close to that of the third-generation AirPods announced at the same time, and has a decent amount of punch and speed in the mid-low range.
Perhaps many people at a hotel on a business trip feel more comfortable with these than headphones that block their ears. The spatial audio is highly reproducible, and you should be able to fully enjoy the surround sound when watching Apple TV +.
Apple claims that the quality of the mic is also studio quality, but it hasn’t been rated that much at this point. However, a simple recording test confirmed that the sound quality was comparable to the stereo mode of an external condenser microphone. There is no doubt that it is much higher quality than video capture and audio capture with a USB camera that is at least half-baked.
It is also attractive that the HDMI terminal and SDXC that have not been installed for a long time have been revived, and the charging terminal has become MagSafe 3.
Over the next few years, the basic technologies that will be the basis of the MacBook Pro have been mobilized, including a quick charge of 50% in 30 minutes.
Power released from a fixed place
By the way, in the announcement of the new MacBook Pro, the word “Unleashed” was set as a keyword in English. I used to interpret it as unleashing power in the sense of “unleashing”, but unleashing engineers and creators who were previously tied to a fixed place so that they could engage in creative work in a free place. I realized that it could be interpreted as “ta”.
With M1 Max, Cinema 4D and Octane X will allow you to design the latest game scenes and Hollywood movie-class scenes in a mobile environment, even battery-powered. In music production, you can apply effects individually to over 1000 tracks instead of hundreds, apply 3D sound design, and play in real time.
As for video editing, the effect of installing a video accelerator, which Apple calls the media engine, is great. In fact, the M1 Max can play more ProRes RAW 8K streams simultaneously (7 out of 6) than a Mac Pro with Afterburner. The M1 Pro has only one media engine (Max is two), but if it is 4K video, it can be handled with a margin.
Until now, the MacBook Pro was just a “MacBook closer to Pro,” but the impression is that it has unleashed professional creators into the mobile world.
This not only allows you to carry out creative activities anywhere, but also allows you to check and adjust the workflow for each site even when working as a team, such as those who communicate with clients and who are in charge of the production department and the project. It may be a changer.
It has just arrived and the whole picture has not been fully evaluated. However, there is no doubt that it will not only raise the level of PCs for creators, which is increasing in Windows PCs, but also set new standards in terms other than SoC performance.
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